The next morning began with the alarm clock’s beeping; although John had no need to wake up strictly at a certain hour and get ready to work, the habit of dividing days went nowhere. He found himself on a sofa in jeans and shoes, covered with a blanket surrounded by the mess of bottles, packages, and pizza scraps. Having glanced over the corners of the ceiling, he didn’t find the evening guest there. Balthazar has left. All that could remind him, except for the mess on the table, was his business card. Thoughts and hangovers were playing drum ’n’ bass tunes in the head. Having brought himself in shape, he got up and went to the fridge.
“I have to drink coffee and finish the pizza,” the emptiness in the fridge only confirmed him in this thought.
He quickly cleaned up. His slices went in a microwave, eggs on a frypan, the rest into the trash can. Having put everything on the plate, he sat down with coffee and meal to the window. Outside, there’s light rain and calm wind that dispersed passers-by on their business. Sip by sip, coffee helped to organize thoughts. “Suicide Channel, he said. This ain’t normal. Should I come to them and start asking everything? It’ll be stupid. I’m definitely in the lack of a team.” He exhaled hard. The case wasn’t easy. Over the years of work, he was used to the fact that everyone who helped and advised him was a kind of alloying element of his actions. In the absence of pressure from the outside, he felt prostration. Having thrown thoughts aside, he began sorting people who could share valuable intel. “Balthazar is definitely not. Midnite, hmmm, either. I’d come to him for finding solutions, not for asking questions.” He sorted options until cold coffee touched his lips, having brought another crazy idea: contacting Gabriel. Without a doubt, she kept hating him for making her mortal and removing power. John had already predicted these awkward pauses and moments in their future conversation.
“Damn it all. Where’s the phone?”
Taking a notebook from the table, he found the numbers of Midnite. “He’s someone who definitely should have her contacts.” Congenital laziness has always been the reason why he didn’t keep them on his phone. Having dialed the number, he heard the beeps.
“Come on, come on! Where, the hell, are you!”
“How have you been, John? Have you decided to leave the Pink Elephant club? Just kidding… Never mind. What happened that you called me so early?”
“It’s the beginning of 9 a.m., you know. Who, do you think, showed up in my apartment yesterday?”
“Don’t make me impatient!”
“Balthazar.”
“Wow!”
“Exactly.”
“So, are you back in business?”
“I’m. I have no choice. They’ve thrown a bone in front of me and started pulling on a string.”
“Are you playin’ on his side now? Don’t get me wrong. I don’t care. I just wanna clarify it.”
“You do know me!” John responded with pressure. “I’m on the side of …”
“… people.”
“To the point, Midnite. I need Gabriel’s contacts. Where’s she?”
“Wow! Holy cow, It looks so serious! Did you think she wanna kill you after what you did to her?”
“Maybe you’re right… but knowing her, I’m sure she’ll satisfy her curiosity first of all.”
“She went into medicine for studying pathological diseases, mutagens, and viruses.”
“Ha-ha-ha! She decided to take power over the world forcibly, having come from another side. We haven’t had a pandemic for a long time.”
“Have a good one, John. Catch a message with her business card. Take care, buddy!”
The call was over. Messages came after a moment. He immediately dialed up the specified number. A cheerful male voice rang out on the line:
“Good day. You’ve reached the research department of BWC Pharm. How could I possibly help you?”
“I wanna hear Gabriel,” John tried to make a friendly voice.
“I’m so sorry, but no one with that name works here.”
“She definitely, I’m sure, works here. Maybe under another name. I need Gabriel.”
The third person has joined the conversation.
“Steve, it’s fine. I’ll answer the call,” and she added to John, “Did you say you need Gabriel? Hmm … How should I introduce you, and what’s the reason for the call?”
“I’m Constantine, John Constantine.”
“I do regret it. She’s forbidden you to bother herself.”
“I wouldn’t have called her if it wasn’t important. Listen to me carefully. After I end the call, every death that happens because of a pending issue, I’ll charge on you. You won’t redeem it. Do you understand what I’m talkin’ about?”
There was a silence, interrupted by the initiative of John:
“I see you got it correctly. Therefore, I do insist…”
“Alright, stay on the line…”
She put the call on hold. Then, a couple of minutes ago, she came back. It could be heard from her trembling voice that she had a squabble.
“Come in two hours. She’ll accept you.”
“I’ve got no car. Please, send yours.”
“Hmm!” The assistant exclaimed, being surprised by his impudence. “Weeeell. I’ll manage it. Get ready to go.”
The call was over. The next obsessive thought occurred to him about how it’d be better to start a conversation with her.
Chapter 1. How Dare He Was To Show Up! Chapter 3. Visiting St. John Church